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Chapter 598

Charging forward, Naruto attacks Tobi using a giant chakra arms which Tobi simply phases through, chiding the boy of thinking that he could defeat him on his own. As Guy tries to snap Kakashi out of the shock brought on from Tobi's revelation, they see the masked man send three giant shuriken hurtling towards Naruto from the other dimension. Catching two of them on his tentacles, one of B and Gyūki's tentacles is cut by the third but is stopped by Naruto who retorts Tobi's earlier remark by telling he's never truly alone as he has Kurama and the others supporting him. Now motivated by Guy to act, Kakashi notes that he had to time the next use of his Kamui perfectly, despite Tobi chastising his "borrowed power" and stated intentions of showing him Kamui's true potential. Acting immediately, Tobi jumps into the air and sends out a number of chakra receiver stakes which pierce B and Gyūki. Warning Naruto not to let them touch him as it sealed off the tailed beasts' power, Naruto creates a shadow clone while being protected by Gyūki. While a clone charged forward with the Rasengan, the original prepared the Tailed Beast Ball. As the clone prepares to attack, Kakashi seemingly warps away the Rasengan again while Tobi — seeing the same attack pattern — decides to attack the clone with one of the stakes, rather than having him go through him. With the clone seemingly dispelled, Tobi phases through the Tailed Beast Ball, and fully enters the other dimension. There, Tobi is shocked to see Naruto and realises that Kakashi had warped the clone there to wait for him. Declaring that he had nowhere to run, Naruto slams the Rasengan into Tobi's face, shattering the mask with Naruto asking his enemy who he is.

Chapter 599

Arriving late for the Academy entrance exam, Obito Uchiha is stunned to see the huge crowd of young shinobi present. After exchanging glares with Kakashi Hatake, Obito is given his entrance papers by Rin Nohara. During the Chūnin Exams, after arriving late for the second round of the exam which was to take place in the Forest of Death, Obito, alongside his team-mates Kakashi and Rin, faces off against Might Guy, Ebisu and Genma Shiranui in a group battle. Wanting to impress Rin, Obito moved to the fore and prepared to attack the group with a Fire Release technique, but the sweet he had been given by the elderly lady whom he had helped with her luggage, had slipped down his throat. Guy used this opportunity to unceremoniously kick Obito — unknowingly saving his life in the process. After receiving medical attention from Rin, the two converse, with Obito indicating his pride in being a member of the Uchiha clan and expressing the wish to become Hokage. Training arduously for the third round of the Chūnin Exams, Obito later faces Guy in the individual matches, but is quickly defeated despite expressing his confidence in winning prior to the start of the match. As Rin cheers Kakashi on when he defeats Guy in a subsequent match, Obito appears jealous and resigned over Rin's lack of reciprocation of his hidden feelings. After becoming a chūnin, Obito is approached by Rin, and intends to confess his feelings for her, only to become too embarrassed and soon overlooked by Kakashi's recent promotion to jōnin. Shortly after, Obito dies during a mission with his team. But in the present day, as the mask falls away from Tobi's face, Kakashi and Guy are very shocked to see that Tobi is in fact their old comrade Obito Uchiha.

Chapter 600

Shocked by this revelation, Kakashi and Guy started asking the once masked man whether he truly was Obito, but upon seeing his Mangekyō Sharingan, Kakashi noted that there was no doubt about it. However, Obito reiterated his point that it was insignificant what they called him, and all that mattered to him was his Eye of the Moon Plan. Kakashi had a flashback to the time when Obito died, and then asked whether he had survived the cave in. This led Naruto to ask them who the person in front of them was. Guy answered that he was a former classmate of theirs who supposedly died during the Third Shinobi World War. Kakashi, still in shock, asked Obito that if he had survived then why had he not made this fact known until now. Obito retorts that whether he survived or not was unimportant. However, if Kakashi really had to have an answer to why Obito had done what he did, it was simply because Kakashi had failed to protect Rin. Even more devastated by this response, Kakashi asked him if he was going to blame him for it. Obito answered that he did not see any point in blaming this useless reality which would disappear soon enough. Naruto tried to rally his sensei, telling him that right now, Obito's plan needed to be stopped and that he would listen to the story later. Obito used the Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance technique sending a giant vortex of flames towards his opponents. Kakashi, unable to register what was happening, simply stood there despite Guy calling out to him. Naruto, however, intercepted the attacks with Kurama's tails. Before any side could act further, they were interrupted by Madara's appearance on their battlefield. Standing beside the younger Uchiha, the legendary shinobi remarked that Obito seemed to be having fun, much to the onlookers' surprise.

Chapter 601

As Madara arrived on the battlefield, Naruto, Kakashi, Guy and B were all shocked to see the legendary shinobi before them, leading them to wonder what had happened to the Kage. As Madara and Obito casually carried on their conversation, Madara noted that the Naruto in front of them was also a clone. Madara tells the jinchūriki that the Kage were probably not doing well much to the latter's enragement. Elsewhere, Tsunade, who had been split into two, managed to summon Katsuyu. Katsuyu was distressed at Tsunade's condition and immediately wanted to piece her back together. However Tsunade told the giant slug to bring the other Kage to her as there might still be time to save them. Back on the battlefield, Obito returned Madara's gunbai to him in time for the famed Uchiha to block a volley of chakra receivers which Naruto had sent flying at the two of them. After hearing the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, Madara asked Obito why he started the plan half-way through without the Eight and the Nine-Tails being captured and deemed his actions as hasty. He also accredited the manner in which he was brought back to the world of the living as being due to Obito's haste and questioned him about what had happened to Nagato and the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique that was supposed to bring him back. Upon hearing that they wanted to use his fellow disciple in this manner, an enraged Naruto moved to attack them with a Super Mini-Tailed Beast Ball. Madara, however, blocked the attack and sent the force back at the clone, expelling it. Concluding the the fact that the young Uchiha must have a plan, Madara moved to capture the Eight and the Nine-Tails, leaving Obito to deal with Guy and Kakashi. Kakashi used this opportunity to question his old friend about what had happened to him and Obito had a flashback of being heavily bandaged and stitched together in a place that an old and wizened Madara referred to as being between the land of living and the dead.

Chapter 602

Disoriented, Obito asks Madara whether he was also an Uchiha after seeing his Sharingan, then after seeing his scythe, whether he was a Shinigami who had come to take him to heaven or hell. Obito panics pleading to the thought-to-be Shinigami to spare him from hell because throughout his life, his actions had not been all that bad. As the young Uchiha winced in pain from his sudden movement, Madara tells him to take that pain as a sign that he was still alive, however barely. Madara then tells the young man that it was he who saved him after he appeared in his underground passage, but in return, Obito must repay him his debt. Obito, however, tells the old man that he can't stay too long for he still had friends to protect as a war was still ongoing. Madara chastises Obito, telling him that with his body in the current state that it was, he could no longer be a shinobi. Dismaying, that he had finally awoken the power to protect his comrades, Madara lectures Obito about the reality of the shinobi world and all its ills. Obito then notices the change in demeanour the old man had, though Obito is still adamant that he wants to leave leading Madara to state that he was free to leave, if he was able to do so. Obito then begins to wonder what an old man with a Sharingan was doing in a place such as this. He finally questions the elder on who he was, asking whether or not he was a missing-nin. Madara, now seated, however, responds stating that he was "a ghost of the Uchiha": Madara Uchiha. In shocked disbelief, Obito states that the man before him could not be his ancestor as Madara had died during his fight with Hashirama Senju decades ago. The elder explains to the young Uchiha that he escaped death and that he needs constant chakra supply from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to survive or he would die right away. Aggravated, Obito forces himself out of bed stating that he would go back to Konoha. Madara then warns him that moving will probably rip off the artificial body which he had to use on him. Madara repeats again that Obito needs to do what he says from now on. Obito angrily asks what Madara wants to which he simply replies that he wanted to create a perfect world, but Obito is still adamant, determined to protect his friends. Still weak, Madara explains to Obito that he will take his Sharingan if he dies trying to force himself to leave, noting that he himself was using another's eye, having left his own to someone else and the Sharingan requires two eyes to bring out their true potential. Thinking to himself, Obito states that he can't waste time, and tells Kakashi and Rin to wait for him as he was still alive.

Chapter 603

Left to the company of White Zetsu and another with a spiral-like facial pattern, Obito becomes thoroughly annoyed at the duo, who are fascinated with how human bodily functions work — not having the need themselves to eat, drink, or even use the bathroom. Telling them not to lump him in with their lot, Obito notes that only half of him was made of artificial material. Stating that they were supposed to help Obito with his rehabilitation until Madara woke up, the duo began to question Obito about why he kept repeating a bell sound and "stupid Kakashi" during his slumber. After explaining that the third clone had gone outside to gather information and that they were able to move through the earth, the two Zetsu begin to recite Madara's plans for world peace. Disregarding this, Obito once again states his resolve to leave this place and join Rin and Kakashi, thus began his painful rehabilitation while remembering his time with Rin and Kakashi with his memories being trying to kiss a picture of Rin even after taping out Kakashi's face and later after training trying to give Rin a signal that he loves her, only for Obito to discover much to his annoyance that Rin was looking at Kakashi, not Obito. After one training incident that leaves Obito suffering from a wound in his hand, Rin patches him up and tells him it's not good of Obito to hide his wounds because she's looking after him. In the present and after what seems to be a fair amount of time passing, Obito, whose hair has noticeably grown longer, is able to use the artificial limbs perfectly. One day, White Zetsu returned to the hideout and alerted Obito that his comrades were in danger, surrounded by Kirigakure shinobi. Leaping into action, Obito tries to break out of the cave, but only manages to crack the rock and tear off his right arm. The spiral-patterned Zetsu offers up himself as a suit of sorts and encases the young Uchiha, who prepares to head out.

Chapter 604

Accessing the power of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path while connected to Hashirama's living clone, impressing the original White Zetsu, a Tobi-encased Obito is able to break the boulder used to cover one of the passage ways. An awakened Madara asks whether or not the young Uchiha was leaving and despite Obito thanking Madara for saving his life, Madara disregards it stating that he would be back to thank him more sincerely. With White Zetsu ready to remotely give his clone directions, Obito dons a cloak before leaving. As he rushes towards his friends' location, he receives updates about the situation, and learns that Minato is not with them. The clone then tells Obito that as he was weaker than him, it would be best to let him fight in his stead, but Obito refutes this stating that Kakashi had his other Sharingan, and his combination with him would be better. As the clone tells him about the additional benefits of having the Senju and Uchiha DNA, Obito believes that it is raining before he sees giant geysers of water rising up from the earth due to explosions. Continuing to that location, Obito begins to see flashes of Rin from his left eye socket with a hand running through her chest. Believing these to be nothing more than phantom images, the young Uchiha presses on only to arrive on the battlefield to see Kakashi's hand run through Rin's chest.

Chapter 605

As Kakashi releases Rin from his grip, both he and Obito watch her die, causing them to awaken their Mangekyō Sharingan. As Kakashi passes out, Obito flies into a fit of rage and disbelief which catches the attention of the Kirigakure ninja. Wooden spikes begin to grow from Obito's right side as he commences his assault. Mercilessly, Obito uses a combination of Kamui and the Wood Release: Cutting Technique to kill all the Kiri-nin on the battlefield. Amazed that the young Uchiha could already use Wood Release, Tobi noted that he now knew why Madara had chosen the young man. Realising that they could not win, the Kiri-nin decide to pull out but not before retrieving Rin's body. Obito, who was not about to let any such thing happen, slips through several more Kiri-nin and then slaughters the ninja that had tried to retrieve Rin's body. All the while questioning where he was, a blood-spattered Obito crushes the remaining Kiri-nin between giant branches, and as he stands in a pool of his opponents' blood, comes to the conclusion that he must be in hell.

Chapter 606

Still in disbelief, Obito walks over towards Rin's body, with Madara and White Zetsu's words echoing in his head. Phasing right through Kakashi's body as he went, he stopped only when he had reached Rin's corpse. Initially phasing through the kunoichi's body as he tried to check her pulse, Obito finally realises that she is in fact dead and as he cradled Rin's lifeless body, vowed to create a world where she was alive, and change the fate of this world. After returning to Madara, as the elder Uchiha had predicted, and hearing from White Zetsu that no one saw them, he beckons the young Uchiha to his side. Telling Obito to look into his left eye, Madara takes the young man to a genjutsu where as a means to explain his plans, made himself look younger before telling Obito the story of the Sage of the Six Paths and the Ten-Tails. Some time after this, Obito and Zetsu would travel to Amegakure to meet Nagato — a young man of Senjulineage that Madara had implanted his Rinnegan which he had awoken before shutting himself away from the world. Obito remembers Madara telling him that he had acquired the dōjutsu after implanting Senju DNA into his body, but not until he had neared the end of his lifespan, did the dōjutsu awaken. Madara would later explain that this allowed him to summon the empty shell of the Ten-Tails and use it as a catalyst to cultivate the Hashirama's living clone. Madara would then teach Obito how to control the statue, several Uchiha kinjutsu and Yin–Yang Release. He, at some point, put his will into half of White Zetsu, thus creating Black Zetsu, and also into Hashirama's living clone, causing a black rod to extend from the clone's navel and told Obito to use it when he was going to use the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to revive him before breaking the connection to the statue. As life left the elder Uchiha's body, he told Obito to go until the time he was revived. At this point, Obito and Zetsu approach Nagato, with Obito announcing himself to be Madara Uchiha.

Chapter 607

Upon hearing who the man claims to be, Yahiko declares him to either be a criminal or an idiot for using the legend's name. Nagato, on the other hand, is eager to meet someone who knows more about the Rinnegan, but before he can approach Obito and Zetsu, a wary Yahiko escorts him and Konan away, telling the masked man not to approach them again. Before they leave, however, Obito tells Nagato that he would reappear at the same time and place everyday until Nagato realised that his words were true. Some time later, Obito returns to Konohagakure clad in his flame-patterned mask, and heads to the Konoha Cemetery, where he watches on as Kakashi Hatake stands over Rin Nohara's grave. Eventually the young man leaves to visit the Memorial Stone, leaving flowers on her grave, and mentioning highly classified information, that their sensei's son would be born soon. Obito, spying on Kakashi from afar, approaches Rin's grave and angrily through aside the flowers. Later, Obito subsequently utilises this information to his advantage, and when confronted by his former sensei, he remembers his first encounter with his team and then states that he no longer cared about this world. In present time, Naruto declares to Madara that he was Minato's son and would not be persuaded by him. Noting that he was being lenient because Naruto was a true jinchūriki, he declares that now, he would not hold back. Creating an enormous Wood Dragon, he notes that it had been used by Hashirama Senju in the past to bind the Nine-Tails, which prompts Naruto to manifest Kurama's body in Tailed Beast Mode to fight it. Kakashi asks Obito why he chose to follow someone like Madara, but the Uchiha notes that all that was left was for him and Kakashi to have their final fight as he had nothing left to say to him.